Kindred Spirits
by BlueShard20
Summary: Something dark is going on in Republic City at night. Does it effect a certain orange haired city boy? How will Ichigo Kurosaki's resolve influence Korra's journey of becoming a true Avatar? Will their strong spirits keep peace and balance in the world?


**A.N.: Here's another story I had in mind for a long time. It took me awhile to try and change my writing style, so the story could be more realistic. This chapter was fun to write and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Legend of Korra.**

_**Kindred Spirits**_

_Chapter 1: The Shadows of Republic City_

"_Republic City, the united republic of nations, A united society of both benders and non-benders who can live and thrive through peaceful harmony. And a unity of the corrupted world of cruelty. The greatest of good can also invite the greatest of evils. And though those evils, can also create the biggest fears. Thought those fears can create…monsters." Spoke a feminine voice._

_**Night in Republic…**_

**City Alley**

Thunderstorm roar's through Republic City with harsh winds and heavy rain. Newspapers scattered and rode the winds through the dark street. Buildings and small house lights illuminated the stormy night sky.

Heavy feet are heard through the streets as a red hooded shady looking man runs for dear life. He stops for a moment to catch his breath while leaning on a street pole. His face was frantic as he looks to every direction around the streets.

"…It's true…those monsters are…death incarnate." He says panting heavily while trying to regain his breath. When the man caught his breath, he growled angrily, "This wasn't supposed to happen! Those rumors about them were too ridiculous to believe. Seeing what they did to my partners back at the hideout…just blew any nonsense in the rain. Damn it!"

Lightning flashed, and the man caught sight of a massive shadow above him. He turns to the top of a building next to him and he sees a shadowy figure in the distance, a human figure dressed in a dark cloak.

The man jumped at the sight of it and continued to run down the empty streets. His entire body burned, and the muscles in his body were worn from exhaust. His mind was still racing, _'Impossible! How did they find me so fast?!'_

"Help me! Someone help me! They're going to kill me!" He yelled out in fear to the streets in hopes of someone coming to his aid. He runs towards a nearby alley and hides behind a wall. Despite the rain, the man was sweating while his heart pounded very hard of exhaustion and panic.

Then the air suddenly felt cold. For a second, the man thought it was him from fear, but looking around the alley he was hiding in was suddenly being covered in ice. Leaping off the wall he was laying on turned into a frozen wall. He slowly walked backwards while seeing the wall being slowly covered in thick ice_. 'What is this?! Is this water bending? But…I didn't see anyone here?!'_

The man couldn't move back any further as he bumped into something that wasn't there a second ago. _'What the hell?'_

He turns back to what he bumped into. His face turned pale as he saw the same cloaked hooded figure who was on the building before right in front of him.

The man jumped back away from the cloaked individual. Taking a batter look, the person was dressed in an all-black cloak that covered its entire body. It had a deep hood which was shrouded in the night, keeping its face hidden in the dark. A little light from the street lights showed black straps around its figure. The glowing lights also showed a hilt from behind the person as well.

Seeing its appearance frightened the man even more, he tried to speak while shaking in fear. "Y-Your one of t-those k-killers, aren't you?"

The hooded figure said nothing as it slowly walked towards the shady man who was backing away.

As he was walking back, the man couldn't help but imagine the grim reaper in place of the cloaked individual. He was shaking his head as he held up his hands in surrender, "Please, don't do this! Take me to jail. I-I give up, s-so please don't kill me, please!" The man begged and bumps back toward the frozen wall.

The ice he bumped back into started freeze his body in place. His arms and legs were frozen in ice, he couldn't move. Seeing the figure coming closer to him, he frantically tried to struggle out of the ice…but to no avail.

As the cloaked person stopped in front of him who was frozen in place, it slowly reached for a black sword on its back and pulled it out from its sheath.

The red hooded man could only watch with his arms and legs trapped in ice, seeing the drawn sword blade rising above. He could hardly see it being covered by the shadows of the alley.

"W-what are you?!" The man stuttering slightly as tears of terror covered his eyes. It was very clear to him what was going to happen in the rain…death.

"…" The cloaked person didn't say a word and brought the sword down.

The rumbling from the storm roared for Republic city to hear, as sirens of police cars were going off and approaching the alleys. They got word from a source about a struggle happening in an abandon warehouse downtown. One of them with a red hooded jacket was said to have busted through a window and ran through the city alley.

When a certain police car finally found the said escaped man…he was already dead. Stepping out of the car, was the city's chief of police, Lin Beifong.

She didn't care about the rain falling on her. What she really cared about was the man lying dead on the wall, with his blood blending in with the heavy rain with no life in his eyes, just pure fear from his expression. Seeing the mark on the man's clothing already told her who was responsible.

The chef gritted and spoke through her teeth, "Him again." Gripping her hands hard enough for them to turn pale white.

The sound of another police car snaps out of her seething rage and turns back to the incoming car. It drove into the alley and parks behind Lin's car and the person inside rushed out. "Lieutenant Abarai, you made it." The Chief of police recognized her second in command.

The person now identified as her lieutenant, was a young man wearing the police uniform and had spikey red hair. He also wore a black headband with the Republic Police emblem on it. He rushed towards his commander's side and saw the body she was facing. "It was them again, huh?" he says grumbling while recognizing the slash mark on the red hooded man's chest.

Lin sighs, "Apparently so. Only one of them could have done this."

"Damn! Who do these 'monsters' think they are…doing this?!" The spikey red-haired officer growled while looking at the corpse.

The chief of police put her hand on his shoulder, "Calm down, Renji. Alert the other officers of the body and I want a report of the hideout that was ravaged."

The lieutenant now named Renji straightened up and went back to his cars radio to alert what happened and the report.

A considerable distance away on top of a building, the same cloaked person watched from above as other police cars and an ambulance came into the alley to take the body away. Officers were looking around for clues. The cloaked individual shacked its head watching them trying to find something that's not there to find.

Walking from the shadows to the clocked person sides, two other black cloaked hooded figures stood by with their faces covered by their hoods, watching the police down below as well.

They had similar black cloaks as the first one, but with differences. One had light blue diamond symbols on the cloak on the chest, arms, on the back. The other cloaked person was smaller than the others who had different markings, but with red tear drops.

The first cloaked person raised his covered face slightly to see better through the rain. Lightning flashed, and the said person's face was revealed. A horrifying white mask with a black X marking.

When the flash died out, the first cloaked spoke in a dark static voice as he turned to leave, "**Let's go. Were done here**."

The one with the blue diamond cloak spoke in a similar dark static voice as well, but more feminine, "**Ah, but I was really enjoying more of the chief getting frustrated for another lack of evidence, again.**"

The one with red tear dropped markings shook its head with a sigh, **"Honestly Tundra, your predator personality almost made that guy escape. If we were in an underground base, that would be one thing with no windows and not many exits. But that guy jumped through one of windows next to you and ran off**. **We were just lucky he made a loud exit and was screaming through the city like a fool.**" The person spoke with a dark feminine voice as well.

Tundra scoffed, **"Please Shinku, he never escaped my sight. I just wanted to torture him for a few more moments, before he met his end. True, I should have finished him off sooner." **ThenTundra crossed her arms and her voice turned smug. **"But are **_**you**_** forgetting you could have stopped him dead in his track with your powers. Or were you too busy having your own version of fun?"**

Before the person now known as Shinku could speak again, the still unknown cloaked person caught their attention.

"**Enough you two. We need to leave before more of the Chief's police force show up to scout out the area."** The person says before climbing down the fire escape of the building they were on.

Tundra bowed before him, "**As you wish, Lord Reaper**."

Staring at the scene made, Shinku shook her head as she walked past Tundra and following Reaper down to the escape.

Before Tundra left with them herself, she took one last look of the police down below. "**If they can't stop us, then no one can. Because they are weak**." She disappears with the others without another word. The only sounds left were the raging storms.

_**The next morning**_**…Republic City Streets**

A small truck pulled up on the side of the road with tons of newspaper stacks in tow. Stepping out of the truck was a man with large muscles wearing a green bandana on his head. Holding one of the papers up, he yelled out the morning news.

"Extra, Extra, read all about it! The Death Blades have struck again late last night! During a hidden drug trade in an abandon shack, the victims were struck inside the building during the storm, read all about it!" The newspaper man shouts out, while waving the newspaper in his hands. The announcement caught the attention of people walking by. They picked-up stacks of newspapers next to him and they went their way.

"Republic City's most reliable early morning newspaper, delivered by yours truly, Ganju!" Ganju announced proudly while handing another paper over to the next person in line.

Meanwhile inside an apartment building nearby was someone sleeping in his room…or was. A patch of orange hair was coming out of the blankets. The person grumbled while waking up from the loud shouting outside.

"Him again? That idiot." He muttered.

The person climbed out of bed and was revealed to be a young teenage boy with messy, spikey orange hair wearing a white shirt and red boxers. While rubbing his eyes awake, he walked over towards a cabinet next to his bed and grabbed a small pebble. Why he had one? It was because this was his early routine every once in a while, throwing small rock at an annoying newspaper guy. What a damn morning to wake up from.

Ichigo walked towards his window and raised the blinds then opened it, seeing the newspaper guy down below making his shouting's of newspapers known to others walking down the streets.

When nobody was near the guy, Ichigo threw the small pebble, and with good aim. He gave an amused grin when he hit his target.

"Ow!" Ganju yelped while rubbing his head.

Ganju really felt that rock hit him on the head. While rubbing his head he looked up above towards the person he already knew who threw it, seeing Ichigo at his window. He held the rock towards the orange-haired teen, "Ichigo! How many times do I have to tell you! You can't throw rocks at me for doing my job!"

Dropping the smirk Ichigo shouted back, "And how many time do I have to tell _you_ Ganju to stop yelling in front of people's houses like a maniac so early in the damn morning! With that thick skull of yours that apparently bounces off my words, rocks are the only things that can get you to listen."

A tick mark appeared on Ganju's head. "Is that right?" he growled while reaching for a newspaper behind him, rolling it up and wrapping it around with a rubber band from his back pocket. "Then how about I return the favor, Ichigo." He shifted his arm in throwing position behind his back. "With this morning's delivery!" he chucked the paper straight towards Ichigo's window.

Ichigo already seeing this plot coming from a mile away, tilted his head to the side and the morning paper flew right by his ear. The force of throw made a breeze that blew Ichigo's hair up a bit.

He smirked again at Ganju's reaction when he missed him. "Thanks for the morning paper, Ganju. With a throw like that, why not do something less roaring like a bison?" Ichigo replies.

Ganju while seething in rage, his driver's head popped out from the front window. "Come on Ganju. Do we have to do this every time? We should just deliver these papers in the park, like were supposed to. I mean, we do this every morning for the past month. Our boss will really not like hearing how her brother is disturbing the peace of this block for a guy you don't like."

Ganju turned back to his driver with a pale expression, "I gotcha, Izuru. Let's go." He decided to call it quits…for now.

As Izuru Kira drove the mail truck away, Ganju turns back to Ichigo. "Just you wait Ichigo! You will have proper respect for a man giving out his papers in a cooler fashion than others, and you will like it!"

Ichigo could only stare blankly at the truck moving farther away until it was gone from sight. "What an idiot. With his style of delivery, it would make people want to go back to sleep than reading."

He sighs and closes the window. The teen walks towards the morning paper on the floor and picks it up, then sets it on the table. Ichigo heads for a small refrigerator in the kitchen while rubbing his neck.

'_My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm nineteen years of age and I've had this apartment for the past two years and so far, I'm having one of my regular mornings. Like getting my morning newspaper from that wacko Ganju and trick him into throwing my papers up to the window instead of going down to get it. Why he has a problem with me…I have no idea?'_ Ichigo thinks while mentally monologuing about himself for reasons unknown. Maybe just for the heck of it?

Ichigo grabs a sack full of bread and puts two of them in a toaster. Then he takes out a carton of milk and poured it in a glass cup. The bread popped out into the air and Ichigo swiftly grabbed a paper plate and the bread landed on it. "I really need to get it to stop doing that." He muttered to himself since the toaster for some reason launches the bread out sky high.

Grabbing his breakfast, Ichigo sits at his small table and opens the paper after taking a bit out of his toast. '_Let's see what the paper says today.'_ While reading it, he came across something interesting. He sees a picture of a young women with short raven black hair holding a microphone on a stage looking happy. "Pop star singer Rukia, is doing a concert tonight at the city park. Last chance for tickets on sale for a limited time offer."

Ichigo smiled at his old friend's success. "Her manager must have finally taken a stick out of his well and gave her an opportunity?" Then a thought came to him and chuckled_, 'Though…I think she must have had something to do with it herself.'_

Then another thought came to him. _'Wait a minute? If she's having her concert at the park, then why the hell didn't she tell me about it?' _he grumbled mentally_. _

Ichigo proceeded to read more, "Alright, what's next?" he read through some more pages and not a lot of the stories seemed interesting other than the last two. "Equalists members still talk about non-benders not having enough rights." Ichigo shook his head. "Wow, is that anything new? What's next? Famous fashion designer, Miss Fall designed a new extraordinary dress."

Ichigo looked at the dress in picture and couldn't help but be impressed, "Finally, something less depressing in the paper." He continued to read until he came across a certain picture from the other night. "Men found killed during thunderstorm last night. Chef Beifong and lieutenant Abarai, and the police force confirmed another killing from the Death Blades. Evidence leading to them was the carnage found in an abandon warehouse on Lemur Ave. An unidentified man was found nearby in an alley wearing the same clothing as the same group that was recently killed. He was confirmed to have the same slash mark as the previous victims who suspected were killed by the Reaper."

Ichigo expression turned grim from what was described. "Jeez. That guy had no idea what he was in for last night." he sighed while thinking about another one of his old friends who might have been investigating that event the other night. "I hope Renji isn't doing something crazy like he usually does. knowing him, he probably stayed at the office late last night again. Too late to head home after a crime scene, and stayed where he could sleep faster."

A sudden knock came to his door. Ichigo put the newspaper down. "Just a minute. I'll be right there!"

He put on some sweat pants and went towards the door. Opening it he saw a man with swept back blond hair with glasses. He was standing in front of him while holding a small package. Looking closer, Ichigo saw it had stickers…with small white rabbits?

"Um, sorry about how Ganju acted again, Ichigo. I don't know what quarrel you both have, but please have this early package as an apology." He says while handing Ichigo the small package.

Ichigo accepted it in his hands. "Its fine, Yasochika. I just wish that idiot would give it a break already.

Yasochika nods and leaves down the hallway. Not before he heard Ichigo's voice behind him, "Wasn't I supposed to sign for this box?"

Yasochika turns back to Ichigo, "As I said, this is an early apology package." He pushes up his glasses which were sliding down. "Besides, I've known you for a few years and the others will know what you got in there." He says and leaves.

The teen shrugs and closes the door. Heading back to the table while unwrapping the package, he sits down on his chair and finally opened the small box. Inside it, he found a free ticket to Rukia's concert.

"So, she did remember me after all." Ichigo say chuckling. Then he noticed something else in the box. It was a note. Ichigo picked it up and read it.

"_To Ichigo. If you thought I forgot about saving you a ticket, then think again! My manager was such a pain! I went out last night and came back a few hours later completely fine, then he freaks out like it was the end of the world…jeez. I swear he will give me a break! Anyways, he's also being very careful of who he's giving my concert tickets to. It's not really helping my career as a new singer. So, to keep him from me inviting my friends, I decided to send these out to you and the others in secret. Don't miss my big show tonight, Shield Berry!"_ The end of the note was a bizarre doodle of himself as a rabbit…while holding a strawberry shield, looking heroic.

"Damn it Rukia." Ichigo says grunting, hating that nickname his old friend gave him when they were younger, and still teasing the hell out of him today with it.

Shaking his head with a small smile out of his friend's antics, Ichigo puts the note and ticket on the table. He grabs a radio from his closet and plugged it in, which was already playing music since it was already set on a certain channel. While the music was playing Ichigo was getting dressed for the day.

After finishes putting some cloths from the closet, he was wearing a black jacket hoodie with red lettering of the number fifteen, while also wearing long grey pants. Putting on some shoes, Ichigo was heading out.

Before he could walk out the door, Ichigo sensed something behind him. Turning back towards the table he saw a bird. However, it was not just an ordinary bird. It was bright green in color and had a small scroll carrier on its back. The bird was look faded that you can almost see right through it.

'_Right. For as long as I can remember I can see spirits. Not just seeing or hearing them, but I can somehow touch them too. When I when I was younger it was bizarre, but I eventually got used to it… well somewhat.'_

Ichigo went up to the spirit bird and stroked its feathers, which made it chirp as a response. Then he grabbed the small scroll from the container. Reading the message, he already got what it said and nodded. Grabbing a pin and paper from the closet Ichigo wrote something down. After finishing he put the new message back into the spirit birds small scroll carrier.

It chirped as a sign of approval and flew right through Ichigo's apartment wall, which the teen still couldn't get used to seeing. _'Show off.'_

Ichigo walked out of his room and out of the apartment building. From the front of the apartment, you could see on the entrance wall with a giant sky Bison carving. It acted like it was happily flying across the sky while carrying words on its saddle. Seeing the sign made him wonder who came up with the weird name.

"SADDLE-BACK APARTMENTS"

He walked along the side walk and watching as how everyone was going about their morning. While he was walking, the orange headed teen overheard some people walking by near him talking about what they read on the morning paper.

"Did you read the paper? They say the Reaper struck again during the storm last night."

"Yeah, I read about it. The police identified a specific slash mark on the man's body and only this _Reaper_ is capable of it or something."

"Pop star Rukia is going to have a concert at the park, tonight?! I need to get a ticket right away!" said a girl squealing in joy.

"I heard rumors she's

Ichigo sat on a bench near a station and waited for a trolley to come over soon. He was still hearing others talk about the Reaper, since apparently he had nothing better to do but to wait for the trolley and listen to a couple of loud mouths behind him.

"I'm not from Republic city. So, who is this…Reaper guy everyone in the city is talking about?" a young teenager wearing a red jacket asked his pal who was wearing all green next to him, while they were waiting for the same ride as Ichigo was.

The other teenager in a green jacket looked at his friend in complete surprise, "Wait, you mean you really don't know?" he asked. His friends response was shaking his head meaning no.

The one in green sighed and explained. "Okay, the Reaper is said to be the leader of an assassination group called the Death Blades. I've heard they've been a part of this city for the past few years. They go around killing crooks, drug dealers, crime bosses, and all kinds of people at night."

Hearing this made the one in red go wide eyes, "Are you serious? How come Chief Beifong hasn't caught these murderers already?"

"She's been trying to get them since they first came here. They somehow always disappear and leave no traces of evidence behind when they've done their job. They move too quick before the chief of police and the other officers can get to them." said Green.

"That...or maybe it's because the Chief is reaching her age." Red says chucking a bit, before getting punched in the arm by Green. "Yow! What was that for?" Red asks while rubbing his arm from the punch.

"For you and your big mouth! You can't just say that about the Chief you idiot. I've been living in this city for a while, so I would know she will beat you down to the ground or possibly further if she heard you say that." Green tells him in a strict voice which sent chills to his friends spine.

Ichigo hearing this conversation behind him while waiting for the trolley was better than simply waiting with his thoughts. He nodded in agreement if some fool told Lin Beifong that, then there going to be missing some teeth.

Red backs off while raising his hands defensively already getting the message, "Okay, Okay. I won't bad talk the police Chief anymore alright."

Nodding at his friends' response of not saying too much about the Chef, Green wanted to get back to what they were talking about before they got off track. "Back to the main subject. The Death Blades are pretty much a big deal in this city. They get rid of bad people and all kinds of crooks that you don't want to run into at night…at least that's what I've been hearing."

"Sounds scary dude. But are they as scary as this orange headed punk I've also been hearing about? Word on my side is that this guy loves picking fights with everybody. He even loves to steal and hurt anyone in his way. If anything, that guy should be on the Death groups list." Red says.

Green cracked up while agreeing, "You said it bud. I'm surprised he isn't dead already with all the rumors about that guy. He's probably on the bad side of the city getting into some more trouble. Word coming from me, he sneaks around in the alleys, beating on kids for sport and stealing their money. Honestly, your right. How can a guy like that even still be alive if he's doing those kinds of awful things?"

Still oblivious to the two free talkers, Ichigo was beyond ticked off. He just was listening to them to pass the time, but now he was gritting his teeth. Hearing them say freely how he hurts kids for enjoyment went too far, very, very far. He gets up and turns around facing them. Ichigo made a fake coughing noise to grab their attention.

The one in Green hearing the cough turned to the source of the noise "What do you want duuuu…" He froze in mid-sentence wide eyed. The very same person they were just talking about was right there glaring at them with rage.

'_He was here the whole time?!' _Green screamed in his mind.

"What's wrong dude? You look like you've seen a spirit or something?" Red asked seeing his green jacket pal turning pale. Then he was confused even more seeing how his friend suddenly ran away, leaving a dust trail behind.

Then Red noticed someone next to him and turned to face him. And just like his friend… his face lost color and turned pale too. Looking up at the taller teenager who had a very angry scowl on his face while being glared at made Red shake in terror.

"Do you have a problem with me? Say it while looking at me," Ichigo spoke in a voice that made the red jacket teen feel like he should be running, which he just now started doing.

"Ahhh!" Red yells out running as far as possible from the orange haired teen.

Ichigo seeing how those guys were just all talk, and no bite ticked him off. If they were going to blab away like that, then they should have prepared for a few punches coming their way. Ichigo can handle all the insults at him but hearing how he would do that to kids crossed the line.

The trolley just now came by and Ichigo hopped on then took a seat. While he was looking out to the side, some of the passengers noticed his orange hair and they immediately back away from him. Ichigo already aware of the hostile atmosphere just scowled and minded his own business.

While the trolley was moving, Ichigo was in deep thought. _'So far, my morning as usual was loud because of Ganju again and I couldn't sleep much last night from the storm either.'_ He sighs while pinching the bridge of his nose. _'Also dealing with nitwit free talkers didn't really help my mood either. Now I'm going to a new job being a waiter. Hopefully, this job will last longer then my old one.'_

He thinks back of his last job being a janitor of a small diner...and how it ended.

**_Two days ago…_**

Ichigo was wearing a diner's standard janitor outfit...which was a work apron. He got a job at a small diner sometime ago in the city and it's made good money in his opinion. His boss who was watching him from the front counter, while cleaning a glass cup was an old man with a small smile on his face.

The spikey haired teenager was cleaning up a spilled milkshake's from a couple's table. The said couple apologized while Ichigo was mopping up the spill. He told them it was fine and it was his job.

After Ichigo was done cleaning the mess, he saw a grown man on the other side of the diner wearing what looked like a water tribe business suit. The said business looking man was looking at his own leftovers at his table and back at Ichigo. He just smiled and scooped his leftover food on his plate and then slide the food onto the ground. He put on his hat and was about to leave the diner, until someone caught his attention.

"Hey!" Ichigo roared out as he was glaring angrily at the man's choice of just dropping his food on the ground intentionally like that. If it was an unintentional incident, that would be one thing. But seeing this wise guy doing what he did with a smile and without care really pissed him off.

The orange haired teens yell made the leaving businessman stop, which caused his manager to step back. The old man was sweating up a storm, really not liking where this was going. Especially who his new janitor was talking to.

The blue suited man looked back at Ichigo. "You talking to me, punk?" he says with an arrogant grin.

"You bet your hat I am! I don't know who you think you are, pal? But that's not how you should treat this place like you own it."

The man just looked more amused and chuckled, "Who do I think I am? I should say the same to you, kid." He walks from the entrance and over to Ichigo. He stands a few feet in front of the teen, looking him in the eye. "My name is Viper, brat. I'm one of the head honcho's of the Triple Threat Triad. This diner so happens to be in our territory, so I can do whatever I want with it."

Viper says with his arrogant smirk growing while poking at Ichigo's chest. "Since you've been rather rude to me for interrupting my leave, I should probably return the favor. Maybe by sending you to a hospital bed?" Then Viper backed off from Ichigo and made thinking pose by scratching his chin, then regained his smirk. "But, since you didn't know who I was…how about you get on your hands and knees and apologize. Then all is forgiven and I can take a more proper leave, how does that sound?"

Ichigo's scowl grew. He already knew who Viper was from the man's reputation. Bullying people around to get his way in town for being a crime boss. However, Ichigo was not going to let this bastard have his way this time.

"I've got a better idea." Ichigo says while having a grin himself, "How about instead of treating this diner like your garbage bin," He holds up a broom and a dust pan in front of him, gesturing for Viper to take them. "And start cleaning up your own mess before I send _you_ to the hospital?"

This time it was Viper who was glaring with anger. He was expecting like everyone else to cower before him. But hearing how this teenage punk talking to him like that was a first, but it infuriated him. "Big mistake, kid." He water bends some water from the customer's cups and forms it around his fingers like ice claws.

Ichigo did not originally plan for this to get out of hand, but noun the less, he dropped the dustpan in one hand and held the broom with both, as if he was holding a spear.

"Are you kidding me? A broom?!" Viper laughs while seeing Ichigo holding up the broom.

"That's right a broom. The broom that's going to-" before Ichigo could finish his sentence…his boss came in-between him and Viper.

Ichigo was surprised and at first. He thought his boss was going to help him with Viper, but…that was not the case unfortunately.

"Please Mister Viper! I apologize for my foolish janitor." The manger cries out with frightened tears in his eyes. "I-I w-will get on my hand and knee's for you, sir!" He does so with his head down as well.

Seeing his boss doing something like this made Ichigo step back with a wild expression on his face. Ever since he took the job of being a janitor in the diner for the past few weeks, he always thought his new boss was harder than stone with how strict he was of keeping things in order. But, now seeing this didn't sit well with the orange haired teen at all.

Viper enjoying this decided to call it a win. "Well…I wanted the kid to do this, but at least someone is showing me the proper respect." Satisfied of seeing both expressions on Ichigo and the manager, Viper turned to leave. While he was walking, Viper spoke without looking back, "Gotta train your janitors harder next time. I'm sure glad there wasn't a problem while I was leaving, otherwise things could have gotten out of hand, old man." Then he left.

After he was gone, Ichigo finally had it. "Boss, what are you doing?! You can't just let this guy do whatever he wants with your-"

"Be quite, boy!" The old man stood back up and looked at Ichigo with angry eyes. "Do you have any idea what almost happened?"

Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What almost happened? What about what just happened a few seconds ago, huh?! That Viper guy acted like he did nothing wrong at all when he just dumped his food on the ground. And I know you saw what he did too! Yet, you just pleaded to him like he owned you. Why the hell would you do that?!"

His boss just closed his eyes and shook his head at Ichigo's words. Then he opened his eyes and replied, "Did you not hear what that man said? He said he owns this section of town, which includes my beloved diner you fool. He can do what he wants in here, but he will not destroy this place unless provoked. That was the deal we made when I first opened this place a year ago. And he almost did that because of you!"

The elderly man took a breath and said in sorrow, "I'm sorry, Ichigo, but…I'm afraid you're fired."

Ichigo looked at his boss in disbelief. He stood up for the diner and gets fired as a result. Ichigo thought of arguing, but seeing his boss's expression already told him he wasn't going to change his mind.

Standing in silence for a moment, Ichigo quietly grumbled and slowly grabbed his work apron and then ripped it off, snapping the strings from it. He tossed the apron to his now ex-boss and leaves the diner while scowling furiously.

_**Back to present...**_

"Yeah…still can't believe that happened." Ichigo sighed.

Just thinking about it still made him mad. He put a lot of effort making that diner clean and made some good money. But how that job ended for him almost made steam come out of his ears in frustration.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ichigo noticed a small group of five shady looking punks wearing back jackets and no sleeves around a telephone pole. The group laughed when they knocked down a vase that was placed there. Seeing the flowers knocked out of the vase, the orange-haired teen understood what they were for.

"Hey driver! You can let me of here." Ichigo says to the trolley driver.

The driver stops and lets Ichigo off. "Have a good day, sir."

Ichigo waved back at the trolley-man and walks calmly towards the group of thugs that were still laughing. Most people would have already noticed a tall orange haired teen coming up behind them, but the thugs were too busy laughing to notice.

The punk leader, which could be told by how he stood out more than the others with having star-shaped hair and wearing sunglasses. He continued to laugh while pointing down at the fallen vase. "Woops, I guess I knocked over some dumb flowers that were in my way. How will I ever live with myself?"

One of the punks by his leaders' side, a skinny man with a lion-turtle tattoo. "I don't know boss? Maybe that dumb kid should have watched where she was going instead of letting that Satomobile hit her."

"That's true. It's a real waste of pottery and flowers for something like this." The leader agrees while looking at the flowers that were knocked out of the vase. "Oh well, guess since these flowers are still in my way, I'll kick them off-"

The group leader was suddenly kicked from behind and landed face first on the concrete sidewalk. The other punks turned to see Ichigo with a fierce scowl.

The skinny punk spoke first. "Hey! What the hell's wrong with you? You gotta lot of nerve kicking our boss like that you maniac." He growled.

"Oh, is that right?" Ichigo says while scratching his head. "Well, since you hoodlums are obviously lowest of the low. I thought I'd show your boss how low he could drop."

Ichigo's response pissed the group off and one of the lunged at him. "Your dead meat!"

The scowling teen was looking for something to take out his frustration on from his ridiculous job ender. And since he was going to pummel those guys anyway, this was as a good time as any to let out some pent up rage.

Reacting fast, Ichigo grabbed the coming fist with his left hand, which was aimed at his face and kept a good grip on it.

"What the?!" The thug tried to pull back his caught fist, but the orange-haired teen had a good hold.

Ichigo pulled the man back and stuck a punch in the said man's gut with his right fist. The force of the punch launched him back with the group while recoiling.

Seeing one of his pals knocked out like that really freaked the skinny punk out. "Who the hell are you?!"

Ichigo crunched up his knuckles, "Want to come over here and have a closer look?"

Before the skinny one could say anything, two of the bigger thugs took his invitation and charged for Ichigo in anger for their fallen comrade.

Standing where he was, Ichigo got into his fighter stance and waited for one of them. When one of them got in close with the other thug behind him, Ichigo did a power kick on one of his legs, which caused the man to jump back while holding his hurt leg. Doing so made the big thug crash back into his friend who was right behind him and they both fell down.

The boss of the gang finally picked himself up with the help of his allies while holding his bloody nose from the fall. He was mentally fuming '_Whoever kicked me is going to be begging for mercy'_. His sight was greeted to his fellow gang members, aside from the skinny one were on the ground moaning in pain. Then taking a closer look of who kicked him, he recognized right away when he saw Ichigo's orange hair.

"You have got to be freaking kidding me…it's him." The leader mutters under his breath.

"You know this whacko, boss?" The skinny one asked.

Finally back on his feet, the gang leader glared at Ichigo. "Yeah, I know him. That dyed orange wacko is Ichigo Kurosaki. The punk who got me thrown in jail a month ago." Then he gained a grin. "Also the one who's going to burn in a minute!"

Ichigo acting fast seeing the leader about to fire bend, grabbed a garbage lid near him and tossed it at the man's face, knocking him back down on the ground and out cold.

Seeing their leader down again, the thugs that were down quickly picked themselves up and were about to run off. Suddenly metal cables came at the fleeing group and caught their legs together causing them to fall on the ground again.

"Make sure those metal cuffs are on good this time! Last time, you rookies couldn't even tie your own shoelaces to bind metal cables together." roared a voice in command.

Ichigo looked behind him to see the Republic City Police coming out of their cars and arresting the thugs. While the police were putting cuffs on them, Ichigo recognized the voice that was giving commands to the other officers. A familiar red haired officer who was examining the bindings of the arrested crooks.

Renji looks back to Ichigo with a smirk, "Well, look who's causing trouble again. Are you ever going to grow out of that habit, Ichigo?"

Ichigo returned the smirk with his own and fist-pumped his old friend, "That depends, if those dumbasses learn not to mess with a tribute."

Looking behind Ichigo, Renji could see a fallen vase with flowers near the telephone pole. "Oh, I see." He sighed, "Some drunken fool was driving out of control a few days ago and ran over a red light. Sadly, a victim was caught in it. I arrested the driver myself, but-"

Ichigo seeing his friend stop talking about it nodded in understanding, "I know Renji. I read the paper."

Seeing the street gang being put in the back of the police truck, Renji looked back to Ichigo, "Thanks Ichigo. And I hate to do this to you, but you're going to have to come with me since you were involved in this mess."

Ichigo sighed himself, "I got it. But before we head back to the station, could I at least put that vase back up?"

Renji nodded and got into his police car while waited for Ichigo. The other police cars heading back to the station after they heard their second in command give the word. He knew Ichigo wouldn't run away since that was the kind of guy he knew from childhood.

Putting the vase back up, Ichigo spoke to something in front of him. "Sorry you had to go through all that. Those morons were in the serious wrong for laughing at your passing like that."

Coming from behind the phone pole, a little girl peeked her head out to look at Ichigo with a surprised look on her face.

"You can see me, sir?" the girl asked.

Ichigo nodded "I can. I'm one of those unique people who can see spirits."

The girl smiled warmly while tears were forming in her eyes. She ran towards Ichigo and hugged him, "I'm so happy someone came to my rescue."

Ichigo smiled and rubbed the girls head gently, which was impressive due to the girl being a ghost. "I'm glad I could help." The teen gently moved her arms and bent down to her level. When he did, he grabbed the fallen flowers and put them back in the small vase. "I'll come back with some new flowers when I leave the police station."

The spirit girl gasped with her hands covering her mouth, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get you in trouble mister."

Ichigo waved it off, "Nah, it's all good. I get into trouble like this all the time. So it's no big deal, really." The teen said, rest assuring the girls fear.

Ichigo turned back to Renji's car and walked towards it, "When I come back, how about you rest in peace. Sound good?"

Seeing her orange haired hero climb into the front seat of the police car, the ghost girl waved happily, "Thank you mister Ichigo!"

Hearing her, Ichigo gave a small wave back and Renji drove through the road. "It's not even in the afternoon and you're already having lots of things pilling up your day. Fist fights and talking with spirits. You really are hopeless, aren't you, Ichigo?" Renji says smugly while driving.

Ichigo scowled back at Renji, "Shut up. It's not like I have a shirt that says, 'Things always happen to me' when things just come out of nowhere for me."

Hearing Ichigo say that made Renji laugh. "Funny you should say that! The Chief said something similar when you left the station last time you came by."

Hearing that made Ichigo facepalm. "Great, just great. I seriously hope that idea doesn't stick." he grumbled.

"Just depends if you don't keep coming over to the police station so often, right reasons or not. Speaking of which, here we are." Renji replies when he parks his vehicle in front of the police station. "You also better hope the chief is in a good mood."

Ichigo gave his old friend a weird look, "Lin Beifong, The Chief of Police, in a good mood? When is she ever in that mood?"

Renji stopped to think it over, but couldn't picture it. "Okay…good point."

**A.N.: Hey everyone! I'm back with an all new story and I hope you like this one. Sorry I haven't been back in a long time. Lots of emotional drama and life, which can really keep you busy in so many ways.** **I'm going back to do some rewrites for my Tea Job story to make it more real and exciting.**

**I also wanted to point for those who might be confused of the Bleach characters living in the Avatar world. I got inspired from a Bleach ending if the characters were living regular lives and decided to explore that possibility if they did in the world of Avatar. Which was really awesome to write!**

**Catch you next time!**


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